Magnetic Resonance of Renal Disease in Pregnancy

The renal tract undergoes physiological changes during pregnancy. Pregnant women may suffer from urinary tract infections, colic, stone disease and changes in renal function caused by pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders. History taking and clinical parameters such as blood pressure, urinalysis and culture as well as measurement of electrolytes may help the clinician manage the patient, but there is still a need for imaging. Ultrasound is the mainstay of imaging in pregnant women because of its ready availability and its lack of ionising radiation or any proven adverse effect on the fetus. Computed tomography (CT) is known to be the best test for urinary tract calculi in the non-pregnant patient. The purpose of this chapter is to help the reader to understand how magnetic resonance (MR) imaging fits into the cascade of imaging for renal disease in the pregnant woman.